Highlights
ICMC Jordan provided essential hygiene items including 3,430 personal hygiene kits, 951 hygiene packages for infants and toddlers, and 330 incontinence pads kits.
5,217 educational and recreational kits, including supplies and learning materials, were distributed to boys and girls in Jordan, thus facilitating the fulfilment of their right to education.
Over half of the 180 graduates from ICMC Jordan’s vocational training program reported that their new skills had enabled them to generate an income. 78 students were referred to small businesses for job matching.
133 women and men who enrolled in a financial literacy course in Jordan were equipped with the basic financial skills to set up their own businesses.
In Jordan, 388 individuals completed an Arabic literacy course while 131 others completed an English language course. Graduates reported increased confidence and ability to engage in conversations.
156 youths participated in photography and storytelling workshops in Mafraq, Jordan. An exhibition and book showcased their photos and stories around the themes of gender equality and socially acceptable practices.
Over 130,000 Afghan refugees accessed primary healthcare services at ICMC-Pakistan-run basic health facilities in camps through consultations and health, hygiene and sanitation awareness sessions.
Over 13,000 people received messages on basic health and hygiene, and some 550 women attended sessions on water purification and hygiene in the Gandaf refugee camp in Pakistan.
9,725 people gained access to safe drinking water in the Gandaf refugee camp thanks to the installation or rehabilitation of 50 hand pumps; 50 community members were trained on their operation and maintenance.
A water, sanitation and hygiene promotion project in the Gandaf refugee camp constructed 90 household latrines for some 770 individuals and equipped 304 households with stormwater drainages.
Hygiene promotion activities and kits, including training sessions, soap and menstrual hygiene kits were proposed to some 4,000 students in eight schools in the Gandaf refugee camp.
26 refugee children were enrolled in private schools in Pakistan, receiving monthly allowances for school fees and transportation; and 26 adult refugees followed language and skills-development courses.
Health education messages and health awareness-raising sessions reached 13,191 people in Syria.
In Syria, 4,883 women and their babies received rapid postnatal care, while nutrition sessions for 969 new mothers addressed the importance and benefits of breastfeeding.
ICMC contributed 50% of the pay of Aleppo’s Al Inaya School’s 62 teachers and staff along with other operational costs. 690 students were enrolled and completed the academic year.
Feature
Empowering Syrian Refugee Youth Through Photography
To View Life Through a Different Lens
Mahmoud was nine when he lost his eye in a bomb explosion in Syria.
He and his family eventually fled to Mafraq, Jordan. Though out of physical danger, he struggled to deal with his experiences. Surgeries were unsuccessful in restoring sight to his eye.
Eventually he stopped caring about anything, even about whether he lived or died. “I felt numb about everything.”
Then ICMC’s Photovoice project introduced him to a different lens – using digital photography to see and be in the world differently, to express his feelings and tell his story.
When he started to take photos through the Photovoice workshops, he began to come back to life. “I became creative. I forgot my pain.”
In facilitated sessions with his peers, Mahmoud, now 15, could talk about how displacement has affected him personally and what it means to try to rebuild his life in this new context.
Seven years of Syrian war have hit youth like Mahmoud hard. In Jordan, 70% of the population is under 30; over half of Syrian refugees are under 18. They face social isolation, lack places to express themselves, to explore their identities and that of their community.
Girls are especially affected due to gender norms that restrict them from participating in life outside the home.
In the safe space made possible through Photovoice, participants can explore their issues of concern and gain confidence in expressing themselves. Consequently, their voices become more prominent. Exhibitions of the photos and stories have proven key in engaging communities.
“I felt people were listening to us,” says Nuha, a 12-year-old Syrian refugee, upon seeing her photo in the gallery in Mafraq.
For Syrian refugee Hasan the project has opened doors to further learning. “The workshops taught me that there is still time to learn to read and write.” He has since enrolled in ICMC’s literary program.
“I learned from the exhibition that we must not be pessimistic. There is time for life.”
“War forces us to leave our countries and our memories behind. It also further exacerbates gender inequality and imposes more restrictions on women – a cycle that is difficult to break.”
14-year-old girl, Photovoice participant
Taking Photos for Change
ICMC’s Photovoice project empowered young people in Jordan’s Mafraq governorate to find their voice and be agents for change in their communities.
The project involved boys and girls nearly equally, ranging in age from 10 to 21. Most are Syrian refugees, but vulnerable members of the Jordanian host community take part as well.
Workshops first equip the young participants with valuable technical skills – then teach them to use digital photography as a platform to tell their stories and advocate for change. Group discussions allow the girls and boys to become aware of and speak about issues in their communities. The project acts not only to transform attitudes but also reduce social isolation.
In 2018, the Photovoice project aimed to increase gender equality in the community.
Discussion and photography assignments looked specifically at how certain social roles shape the lives of young people. How questions such as child marriage, lack of opportunity for girls and gender-based violence intersect with other areas. What forms gender-based discrimination takes.
Exhibitions in Mafraq and Amman encouraged dialogue in the participants’ communities. They also underlined the young people’s potential as changemakers for gender equality and social justice. Two books with the participants’ photos and stories, “Through A Different Lens” and “Our Visions,” helped reach an international audience as well.
“Young Syrian refugees in Jordan face many challenges, but they still can share their voices. It is their right to be heard and it is our responsibility to listen.”
Amira Kalboneh, Field Protection Manager, ICMC Jordan
Advocacy
Advancing International Cooperation for the Benefit of Migrants
The Global Forum on Migration and Development (GFMD) is an informal, government-led process open to all States, civil society organizations, the private sector and local authorities. Its purpose is to advance cooperation around migration and development as well as to promote frank and open discussions between stakeholders on often-sensitive issues.
In 2018, the GFMD Summit took place in December in Marrakesh, Morocco, immediately before the International Conference at which the Global Compact for Migration (GCM) was to be adopted by UN Member States.
ICMC hosted the coordinating office for the Civil Society Days of the GFMD. At three “Friends of the Forum” meetings designed to shape the GFMD agenda in Marrakesh, ICMC Director of Policy Mr. Stéphane Jaquemet addressed States on behalf of civil society organizations. He emphasized the need to rapidly implement both the GCM and the Global Compact on Refugees (GCR).
Three planning webinars, organized by ICMC, allowed almost 300 civil society representatives to interact with government and private sector representatives in preparation for the GFMD “Civil Society Days” slated to precede the International Conference in Marrakesh.
In July, after broad consultation among civil society organizations, ICMC coordinated the publication of 12 Civil Society Recommendations for the future of the GFMD. The document aimed at strengthening the GFMD’s role as a forum for dialogue between States, civil society, migrants and other stakeholders in 2018 and beyond.
Held just ahead of the 10-11 December International Conference to adopt the GCM, the 4-7 December GFMD Summit, including two Civil Society Days, thus represented the culmination of civil society efforts throughout the year. The Civil Society Days were coordinated by ICMC and attended by representatives of some 300 NGOs.
In a collective message delivered to the Intergovernmental Conference, over 120 civil society actors participating in the Civil Society Days commended governments on adopting the agreement. They urged States to implement the Compact’s priority goals in a robust and principled way that would work for all, reaffirming their commitment to partner with governments to this end.
In a statement addressed to States and stakeholders at the GFMD closing ceremony, the Civil Society Chair outlined a number of concrete commitments to implement the Compact’s goals. The NGOs pledged to build a bridge between the GCM and the GCR to ensure joint implementation of the two international agreements on human mobility.
Friends of the Forum
Some 150 representatives participated at three Friends of the Global Forum on Migration and Development preparatory meetings, in which ICMC Director of Policy Mr. Stéphane Jaquemet delivered statements on behalf of civil society organizations.
Webinars
Nearly 300 civil society representatives participated in three Global Forum on Migration and Development webinars focused on implementation of the Global Compact on Migration and the GFMD work to promote this aim.
Recommendations
66 civil society organizations signed on to the “12 civil society recommendations for the future of the GFMD,” a document based on comprehensive discussions and a survey, which was published in July.
Newsletter
3,500 subscribers received three issues of the Global Forum on Migration and Development Civil Society newsletter, a networking tool that disseminates timely updates and invites feedback and input through webinars and surveys.
GFMD Summit
Some 300 civil society representatives participated at the GFMD Summit in Marrakech, Morocco, including the Civil Society Days coordinated by ICMC, ahead of the International Conference to adopt the GCM.
Joint Message
123 civil society organizations signed on to the Joint Civil Society Message to the Intergovernmental Conference to adopt the GCM, reaffirming their commitment to partner with governments to implement the Compact.
Research Project
Nine partners, including Catholic-inspired organizations, NGOs, universities, and professors from eight countries collaborate in the ICMC-led research project about Jobs, demography, and migration.
Best Practice
Best Practice info-briefs collecting input from LINK-IT partners were presented at the project’s April EU Skills Share Day and Marketplace in Bucharest, Romania.
Reception Guide
A LINK-IT reception guide for resettled refugees was developed by the Portuguese Refugee Council with ICMC support. The guide covers the first steps of resettlement as well as cultural information.
Job Portal
ICMC contributed to the development of a Romanian Refugee Job Portal by the Jesuit Refugee Service in the framework of the LINK-IT project. The portal was to be tested and launched in early 2019.
Research
Implementing Pope Francis’ Vision in the World of Work
ICMC is leading a research project on Jobs, demography, and migration. It relies on a person-centered approach to explore how migrants interact with the world of work. Its goal is to understand the drivers of migration and to recognize the needs and challenges faced by migrant workers.
The study is one of six research tracks within the framework of the project “The Future of Work, Labour After Laudato Sì,” carried out in collaboration with the International Labour Organization and the Vatican’s Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development.
Through the initiative, Catholic-inspired and other faith-based organizations seek to help promote and implement Pope Francis’ encyclical Laudato Sì in areas related to work. The initiative brings together international actors to improve global governance and spread best practices of local and international organizations.
Research findings will be published in 2019. The publication will combine primary and secondary data, as well as a photojournalism project.
The primary research data will be gathered in early 2019 by the Center for Migration Studies, which will study migrants involved in both domestic work in South Africa and in the fishing industry on Taiwanese vessels, as well as the role of youth employment in the Filipino agriculture sector. Secondary data is sourced by ICMC partners across the globe, including Catholic-inspired organizations, NGOs and universities.
A photojournalist will document work done by ICMC partners in India, Ivory Coast, Mexico and the United States in early 2019. Interviews with migrants, refugees, asylum-seekers and community leaders will provide a first-hand account of their experiences and help capture their reality.
Through the analysis of collected data and testimonies, researchers will identify recurring trends and global patterns, thus painting a fuller picture of the situations faced by communities and migrant workers. The publication of the findings in 2019 seeks to inspire the change sought by the encyclical Laudato Sì.
Members
Promoting Yemeni Refugees in the Horn of Africa
Under the guidance of ICMC Vice President H.E. Bishop Giorgio Bertin, Bishop of Djibouti and Apostolic Administrator of Somalia’s only Diocese, the Church is responding to the humanitarian crisis in Yemen by supporting Yemeni refugees fleeing to the Horn of Africa.
Since 2015, the war in Yemen has pushed hundreds of thousands of Yemenis to flee their country. The majority of them have sought refuge in the Horn of Africa, where they lack the stability and opportunities to build a dignified future for themselves.
Caritas Somalia is empowering Yemeni refugees to find sustainable sources of income. In 2018, the organization assessed the need for laboratory technicians in the city of Bosaso. It then began training 12 Yemeni women. Their training consists of an intensive lab and basic medical course of 48 credits at Bosaso’s University of Health Sciences. All of the enrollees had completed the first phase of the course at the time of writing.
The organization also helped 12 Yemeni families become self-sufficient by creating a fishing cooperative. This has allowed the fathers of these families – who were fishermen in Yemen – to become self-employed and provide for their families. Caritas Somalia provided boats and fishing equipment and arranged for permits. It also supported the families to create business plans.
Caritas Djibouti established the YEMEN project, assisting refugees living in the capital by offering them medical services, food aid, and administrative assistance. The project also included a livelihoods aspect by facilitating participation for 23 Yemeni women in one-year-long vocational training. During this period, they gained skills, but also found a space to express themselves and to find some relief from the suffering caused by the war.